Cuddle parties are revived in Calgary after the spooning stopped elsewhere

When was the last time you secretly wondered what it would be like to go to a Cuddle Party?

Well, the number of Canadians who ever followed through on that curiosity might have been small. An event at which clothed strangers lie down with one another can’t compete with a full-fledged swingers’ club, after all. But that hasn’t stopped the concept from a new surge of popularity.

Parties are scheduled in private homes on the first and third Saturday of each month. A special session has been scheduled for this Friday to mark the end of the Mayan calendar, if not the end of the world.

Alberta might be a little behind the times, considering the Cuddle Party concept was initiated in New York City was back in February 2004.

The following year, the relationship coaches behind the concept established a training and certification process.

Cecilia Moorcroft, who became a certified facilitator, gained her 15 minutes of fame after she imported the idea to Toronto in 2005. The admission charge allowed for a night of unlimited spooning while clad in pajamas. But no form of touching was permitted without explicit consent.

An appointed “cuddle caddy” would be on the premises to help enforce the rules — and offer some foot rubs along the way.

What may have turned some off potential attendees from their curiosity, though, was the promise that each event would end with a “puppy pile” comprised of everyone in the room.

So, what killed the cuddle party? The rise of social media, perhaps, since the same demographics that would be drawn to such an event would be the most self-conscious about a lack of discretion.

The Internet also makes it easier to find someone who is into random acts of cuddling without paying to enter a room filled with strangers.